Chapter 3

Red's POV

The following day.

We finished one of our majors today, one lecture then proceeded to lab activity. It was really tiring but challenging as well doing all the experiments. There are two groups in a long rectangular table wherein in the middle are the apparatuses that we're going to use.

There are six tables, hence, there are twelve groups. Each group has five members, consequently there are sixty students in this room.

The room was very busy. All I could hear are the apparatuses hitting against each other and the occasional silent conversations. I was busy engaging on my analysis when one of my classmates across the table talked.

"Hey, girl?"

"Hey?" she repeated. I looked up from my test tube to the girl who spoke, realizing that she was pertaining to me.

"Oh, sorry." I smiled, sheepishly "What's up?" I curiously asked her.

"I just wanted to introduce myself. By the way, I am Mitch Bulang,"

"Red Vera," I simply replied.

"Yeah, I know. But you know what? I admire your spirit. You're so brave yesterday on our minor huh! Damn girl!" she praised me out of nowhere as she waved her right hand from left to right on the air while her left hand was holding the test tube.

"What did you mean?" I was confused. "Oh, was that about my tardiness?" I guessed.

"Nah! it's not a minor though haha," she laughed, an expensive laugh. Right, I felt so dumb. "I was talking about the class after organic chemistry where you sat beside the University's Mr. Perfect!" she then again raised her right hand on air and drew a check mark.

"Who did you mean?"

I tried to recollect my thoughts and the only guy I remembered that I sat beside with was that grumpy man wearing a black thick hoodie jacket in our minor class yesterday morning who was sleeping at the corner. "Oh, about the guy who's a sleepy head?" I figured out who she pertained to.

"Damn girl! You really have the guts huh! I like you! Can we be friends?" she exclaimed putting the test tube on the rack.

"Lower down your voice." I softly said when I caught a glimpse of our professor looking towards our direction.

"Well, the one whom you meant as a sleepy head is just the university's Mr. Perfect!" she sounded excited with her hands clasping together.

"So what if he's the university's mister perfect? What do you mean?" I tried not to sound invested. The fact is that I was pretty much intrigued since yesterday to know who was that mean guy. "Who is this guy though?" I tried to keep playing uninterested. We kept our voices in a small pitch so the teacher won't hear us.

"Didn't you know him?" she questioned in disbelief. "Understandable since you're new," she shrugged as she put her palms planted on the table. "Well, the guy you just referred to be a sleepy head is the guy that girls and even men in this university dreamt of having," she sounded so clichè and overreacting.

Some of the students in our table even gathered closer to her too. Some rolled their eyes. Some restrained their laughter. "He's perfect in all aspect, not just about the physical attributes but also mentally and all. Holistically perfect! Are you blind? Or you're just a dumb transferee?" I was taken aback by her last remark, never seen it coming. She's very straightforward.

She described him with her right hand over her chin like she's daydreaming and as if she's describing one of the  living saints. I was worried that the chemicals on her gloves might harm her.

"He's a varsity player of the basketball team. He's both an academic and athletic scholar. He can play guitar and can sing. He's my everything. It's like he's mr. everything and I'm ms. everything. Perfect! What am I looking for?" she incessantly continued to explain like her life depends on this man.

I couldn't help but to let out a quiet chuckle on her last word.

"What's so funny?" she shrugged and pouted while setting the burette ready for our analysis.

"Sorry, you just look like you really want him that much. It's like that you can't breathe without him." I shook my head and setting up the analyte on the burette.

"Of course. He's like my oxygen. I can't live without him...." she said in exaggeration. "What a joke. But seriously. He's not the only guy in this mother earth though. I could still find a guy who would notice me unforcedly and who will truly love me, not like the way he often treats — not just to me but to everybody. He's handsome and all, yet no one ever dared to go near him, because he's evil." she went really serious, her enthusiasm suddenly lowered down.

"You're the only nobody who even dared to go sit beside his seat and awaken him up from sleep huh?" she raised her brows. Her frankness had caught me off guard. I know that I'm a nobody, but how did she know?

"Really? Do you think he's a monster to eat you all up? Why are you scared of him?" I narrowed my brows together, not liking the idea that students are afraid to go near their peers.

"I think you will just naturally get scared. That spontaneous feeling you feel every time he's near or around. The unwelcoming intimidation will just naturally welcome you. Everyone in this school only gets intimidated by him and Chloe. Don't mess up with them girl," she warned.

And who's this Chloe she's referring to? Why she suddenly brought another name?

I creased my forehead not wanting to hear that students are being this intimidated with other student.

What kind of powers or authority do they have?

Are they The President of the University? Even a student can approach a school president.

But on the other hand, I can't judge them since I'm just a newbie here.

We had our little conversation as time goes by while doing the experiment. I had catered some information about him in Mitch's forsaken sentiments. She's definitely a friend material. I am comfortable around her.

We couldn't be able to finish our conversation when the bell suddenly rang half minutes later and an indication for the end of the class wherein we were also just done with our activity.

"Gonna talk to yah later Red! See you when I see you. Byee!" she waved for farewell.

"Bye!"

Mitch immediately left the room. She didn't even care to take off her lab coat. Did she just forget it?

I shook my head and smiled at the thought.

I searched for Colleen after I put my lab materials inside the locker, underneath the rectangular table.

We're not group mates since we sat beside each other earlier and we did the counting in which those who have the same number will be considered as team mates to do the group activity. I belonged to group two and she's on group three.

I jumped out of exasperation when Colleen suddenly appeared out of nowhere right in front of me.

"Stop doing that. You scared me to death." I told her as I calmed myself. She laughed at my unwanted reaction.

"Let's grab something to eat? I'm pretty much hungry." she pouted as she rubbed her hand over her stomach like a three-year old girl.

Accidentally, my stomach growled. "Not obvious girl, I swear." she said in sarcasm.

"Yeah, but I think I need to eat more. I was literally got drained from the activity." I confessed.

"Me too. I think I need a bucket of rice." she slumped her shoulders. "I'm so exhausted."

"Come on." I pulled her out.

"You know what? I have news to tell you later after lunch." She whispered through my ears excitedly.

Without wasted time, she totally pulled and dragged me out to the cafeteria that we've searched for around ten minutes.

We're so hungry and engrossed with our food once it was served, not realising after we ate that people's eyes are darting towards us.

"They are new here."

"Looks like they are trashes."

"Cheap rats,"

It was the only time that I heard the murmurs and eyes of gossipping students penetrated our backs. I just looked back to Colleen and signed her to leave. She didn't bother.

"I'm still full. I won't let them wreck my appendix." she bravely said with a straight face, brows raised up, and ready to ramble.

"Okay," I surrendered. She has a point. I put my shoulder bag back on my lap.

"So, what is it that you're going to tell me?" Instead, I just asked her in curiousity.

"Yeah, right! It's about the greek god mr. black hoodie baby." I nearly puked at her last word. She sounded giddily. She's gross. Her remarks are gross. 

I looked around wishing no one heard her say that aloud. As much as I cringed on that 'baby' word, I still wanted to hear her talking about him.

"His name is Crow B. Dallas. His name alone smokes power and handsomeness," she started.

The name is quite nice though. Unique and pleasing in the ears.

She also talks about his skills, activities in school, and talents which I already knew about because of Mitch.

We are currently in the moment of chatting when the cafeteria started to noise.

We synchronously looked at the entrance only to see the subject we're just backstabbing to. Crow Dallas is entering the cafeteria with a woman possessively clinging onto his right arm.

I thought no woman dared to go near him.

Yeah! A nobody dared.

Murmurs and gazes are spontaneously fixated on them.

"That's Chloe Grey, the woman whom they say the perfect pair for Crow... Talented, beautiful, rich, smart," Colleen described her in a way that she's becoming a fan. "and every mens' dream..."

she heavily sighed. "...and a bitch. Do you think I like her? No!" she continued and my judgement of her being a fan was definitely a false.

"They considered her as the Ms. Perfect on the other hand." she said while grabbing the fork on her plate and stabbed the leftover pork.

"The only woman who could do all that she wants to mr. perfect." she sounded terribly jealous. This is cringe and childish as hell.

I found out that all these details she informed to me was all being gathered from her group mates earlier on our major. I wondered if their group did the experiment well.

Seriously, I felt a slight feeling of disgust I couldn't decipher inside of me especially seeing them together being this publicly affectionate. It turned my guts upside down. I can't help myself but to speak my irritation out of the situation.

"You know what? He's just a human being. They are just humans that will die too. There's nothing to be envious for! We're all gonna grow old. We're all gonna die anyway!" I said in full conviction trying to ease the tiny, very little, very small, very slight, very bit of jealousy I was feeling.

Undeniably, they really looked good together and it seems that they suit each other in the same aspects and overall terms, but I don't give a damn care.

I was panting for air because of my incessant rants, but I might said that out loud because the cafeteria turned into a massive silence. I looked around from Colleen, and to my side, left, back and right, and all eyes are darting at me. I gulped very hard, but I could not do it. For the third time, I wish that the floor will break and eat me whole.

I have also realized that I was standing. After seconds, the people bursted out laughing. Very hard people from the outside can hear. Chloe laughed as well which only made me more annoyed, but most in humiliation. My annoyance flared up more when I looked at Crow who doesn't have any expression at all. I hate how his expression was just a pure blunt.

"I think it's better for us to go," Colleen came out from her senses as whispered in a hint of embarrassment. She dragged me out of the cafeteria and head to our next major class.

She kept on praising my guts and complimenting how brave I was in voicing out my thoughts like that, but I didn't intentionally do it. I was even surprised why I overreacted earlier. I don't know if I still have the face to face people.

Nonetheless, I couldn't believe her since she even hid her face using her shoulder bag as she dragged me out of the cafeteria.

At least I already have a supporter friend. A supporter when we are alone and that's maybe enough.